9M2PJU APRS Bot
📡 9M2PJU APRS Bot – Easy User Guide
Callsign: 9M2PJU-4
Platform: FreeBSD
🌟 What Is It?
The 9M2PJU APRS Bot is your all-in-one digital assistant for APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System). It provides real-time info right through APRS messaging — from weather forecasts and satellite passes to location tracking and even nearby cafes!
Whether you’re on the air from a mountain summit, chasing weather balloons, or just checking conditions before heading out, this bot has you covered.
🎯 What Can the Bot Do?
Here’s a quick look at its top features:
- 🌦️ Weather – Check weather forecasts, temperature, wind, humidity, and more.
- 📍 Locations – See where you are or track other stations.
- 🌅 Sun & Moon – Find sunrise, sunset, and moon phases.
- 🛰️ Satellites – Get ISS passes or frequencies for ham satellites.
- 🎈 Radiosondes – Predict where weather balloons will land.
- 🗺️ Map Search – Find nearby spots like restaurants, hospitals, ATMs.
- 📧 Email Sharing – Send your location to someone by email.
🚀 Getting Started
You’ll Need:
- An APRS-capable radio (with messaging),
- OR an APRS app on your phone (like APRSdroid or aprs.fi),
- OR APRS software on your PC (like Xastir or UIView32).
How to Connect:
- RF: Radio → Digipeater → iGate → Internet.
- Internet: APRS-IS directly via an app or PC software.
- Hybrid: Use both radio and internet for full coverage.
📂 How to Use It (Commands Overview)
Commands are simple text messages sent to the bot. Here are the main types:
🌦️ Weather
Ask for the forecast or current weather.
Examples:
today → Today's weather
tomorrow → Tomorrow's weather
50634 monday → Weather for ZIP 50634 on Monday
new york tuesday → Weather for New York on Tuesday
temp → Current temperature
wind → Wind info📍 Location & Tracking
Get your own location, find others, or check distance and direction.
Examples:
whereami → Your location
whereis 9m2pju-8 → Location of another station
track 9m2pju-5 → Track that station's recent positions
distance 9m2pju-3 → How far away they are
bearing 9m2pju-7 → Which direction to head
🌅 Sunrise & Moonrise
Know when the sun or moon rises and sets at your location.
Examples:
riseset → Full sun/moon schedule
sunrise → Sunrise time today
moonset → Moonset time today
goldenhour → Best light for photos
moonphase → Current moon phase🛰️ Satellites
Find out when a satellite will pass or what frequencies it uses.
Examples:
satpass iss → When ISS passes next
satfreq noaa-19 → NOAA satellite frequency
satpass ao-91 → Ham satellite pass info🎈 Weather Balloons (Radiosondes)
Track weather balloons and see where they’ll likely land.
Examples:
sonde EB123 → Predict landing of radiosonde EB123
landing S4710234 → Landing forecast
predict → Active sondes in your area🗺️ Map Searches (via OpenStreetMap)
Find nearby places using common keywords.
Examples:
aerodrome → Nearby airports or airstrips
alpine_hut → Mountain huts and shelters
ambulance_station → Ambulance bases and emergency services
atm → ATM machines
bakery → Bakeries and pastry shops
bank → Banks and financial institutions
butcher → Butcher shops
cafe → Cafes and coffee shops
school → Primary and secondary schools
car_rental → Car rental services
car_repair → Car workshops and garages
charging_station → Electric vehicle charging points
chemist → Chemist or pharmacy
clinic → Medical clinics
college → Colleges and technical institutions
deli → Delicatessen shops
dentist → Dental clinics
doctor → General medical practitioners
drinking_water → Public drinking water taps
dry_cleaning → Laundry and dry-cleaning services
electronics → Electronics and gadget shops
fire_station → Fire departments
fuel → Petrol or gas stations
hairdresser → Hair salons and barber shops
hospital → Hospitals and medical centers
hostel → Budget lodging and hostels
hotel → Hotels and accommodations
information → Tourist or local information centers
laundry → Coin-operated or full-service laundromats
mall → Shopping malls and complexes
motorcycle → Motorcycle sales or repair shops
optician → Opticians and eyewear stores
pharmacy → Pharmacies and drugstores
phone → Mobile phone retailers
photographer → Photography services or studios
police → Police stations
post_box → Public mail drop boxes
post_office → Post offices
pub → Bars and pubs
shoes → Shoe shops and cobblers
subway → Subway or underground train stations
supermarket → Grocery stores and supermarkets
taxi → Taxi stands or services
telephone → Public telephone booths
tobacco → Tobacco shops or kiosks
toilets → Public restrooms
train_station → Railway or train stations
university → Universities and higher education campusesYou’ll get the name, distance, direction, and sometimes even address and phone number.
📧 Send Location by Email
You can email your location (or someone else’s) with a command.
Examples:
posmsg [email protected] → Send your location to an email
posmsg [email protected] msg → Include a custom messageThe email includes coordinates, timestamp, Maidenhead grid, and a map link.
🔧 Troubleshooting Tips
❌ No Bot Response?
- The bot may be offline.
- APRS network or iGate issue.
- Try again after a minute or two.
❌ “Invalid Command” Error?
- Check your spelling.
- Refer to this guide’s examples.
- Use simple formats first (e.g., just try “today”).
❌ “Location Not Found”?
- The station may not be active.
- Check the callsign.
- Try another known active station.
❌ Weather Not Available?
- Try using a city name or ZIP code.
- Remote locations may have limited data.
- Try again later.
💡 Pro Tips for Using the Bot
- Don’t spam too many messages at once — wait 30–60 seconds for replies.
- Keep your APRS messages short and simple.
- Remember: APRS is a public system. Anyone can see your data!
🌍 Works Worldwide
- The bot supports all time zones and many languages.
- Weather, satellite, and map services are available globally.
- Some remote areas might have limited data, but most features still work.